Maisey Rika and Troy Kingi Dominate at the 10th Annual Waiata Maori Music Awards
Singer/songwriter Maisey Rika dominated the night with four wins at the 10th Annual Waiata Māori Music Awards which were held in Hastings on Friday. Her wins included Best Traditional Māori Album (Te Reo Māori), Best Māori Female Solo Artist, Best Song by a Māori Artist and the Best Māori Songwriter Award. Musician Troy Kingi took out the awards for Best Māori Pop Artist and the Best Māori Male Solo Artist Award.
Other winners on the night included Wellington hip hop artist Rei (aka Callum Rei McDougall) who was named Best Māori Urban Artist, Israel Starr who won the Best Roots/Reggae Award and Stan Walker whose video for New Takeover, which was directed and produced by Shae Sterling, won Best Video by a Māori Artist.
Amba Holly, a singer/songwriter and the Waiata Māori Music Award Winner for Best Female Solo Artist 2016, took out the Radio Airplay Song of the Year by a Māori Artist in Te Reo Māori Award with her track Mau Tonu while Six60’s Mother’s Eyes was named Radio Airplay Song of the Year by a Māori Artist.
Two Emerging Artists were also named by the awards this year: up-and-coming singer and member of the Maimoa Music collective Kaaterama Pou was named Emerging Artist in the Under 25 category while Ohakune-based roots/reggae band Common Unity were awarded in the Over 25 category.
Three iconic Māori artists were previously named recipients of posthumous awards. They include: 1970s popstar Bunny Walters who received the Music Industry Award, Whakaaria Mai and Tutira Mai Nga Iwi composer Canon Wi Te Tau Huatawho was awarded the Music Composers Award (Historical) and Tainui waka performing arts stalwart, the late Kiritokia Ete Tomairangi Paki, was named the 2017 Kaitiaki Tikanga Pūoru (Keeper of Traditions).
The ceremony included performances from Maimoa, Teeks, Seth Haapu, Grove Roots, Vallkyrie, Alien Weaponry, Kahurangi Dance Company, Rugged & Wylde and Bella Kalolo who sang a rendition of Bunny Walters’ 1970s hit Brandy.
Award-winner and Waiata Māori Music Ambassador Maisey Rika said: “I believe the Waiata Māori Awards is a great kaupapa for our cultural identity, as Māori singing in Māori from a Māori perspective makes us unique to the rest of the world, it is our very own special point of difference naturally engrained into our DNA and strongly influenced by our taiao, taha hinengaro, wairua, tinana. The Awards are an awesome platform for all or any of our artists that love and respect our reo Māori and our culture. I will always be here for kaupapa such as the Waiata Māori Awards. I feel at home here, not necessarily because of the Awards but because of the wairua in the room. He tau ngā tangata, he ngakau māhaki e poipoi ana tātau i a tātau.”
